


A New Age: A Pentatonix/Lindsey Stirling Fanfic

by VioletWiz



Category: Lindsey Stirling - Fandom, Pentatonix
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-05-28 18:50:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6341101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletWiz/pseuds/VioletWiz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loosely based on the music video for "Radioactive".</p><p>In a world where every child is Marked, and their lives planned out before they are born, how can someone find their voice?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

He had always been fairly emotional.

He was created in the early morning on Day 24 in month 7, child #1392038. He was presented that afternoon to the Caregiver, who was making her usual rounds in the Creation Center, to inspect each child and their Markings.

"Only one creation today, Caregiver."

The Creation Center worker gestured to a sterile, white incubator, where a tiny child was seen wailing and flailing his limbs. He screamed for attention, for support, for touch. His right foot had already been Marked, four indelible letters of the alphabet on the soft, unblemished skin of his sole. L, P, W - and X. " _Just like my partner_ ," she realized. Everything of the child reminded her of him, his large nose, wispy black hair, and dark, emotion-filled eyes. 

She continued to stare at the child for a few seconds longer. The child's wailing diminished to a whimper, then stopped altogether, his black eyes staring back into a pair of icy blue ones. The worker was puzzled by the Caregiver's interest in the child.

"Caregiver? Is there something wrong with the child's eyes?"

"Not at all," she whispered, never taking her eyes off the child. Then she straightened herself, and looked directly at the worker.

"I'm going to take this child as my own."

"Are you aware of his Markings?" The worker betrayed a look of unsureness. "He has-"

"I don't care. Notify your superiors that this child does not need to be assigned a bed in the Nursery."

"He hasn't been named yet. Shall I generate a name from the list?"

"No, I have already chosen a name. Leave the room." She spoke with a gentle firmness.

The Creation Center Worker hurried out of the room, still unnerved by her apparent need for the child. " _Why would she care for such an insignificant young human?_ ", he wondered. After the sliding, frosted glass door closed, she took the child up into her arms. The child began to nuzzle her, drawn to the warmth of her chest. She gazed at him in wonder for a few moments, in awe that she had been given another chance.

" _We will continue what we have started_ ," she murmured to the child, his eyes now shut, his breathing slowed. " _Now we can finish creating this world, together, and make a paradise from the ashes. We will rule together, as intended, as we planned. I will never allow us to be separated again. I swear_."

She smiled warmly to the sleeping child through misty eyes.

" _Welcome home, Mitchell._ "

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like it! I promise, with more chapters it will make more sense :) Make sure to say what you think of the story in the comments!


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke to the sound of the loud, buzzing drone that marked the beginning of every morning in the Student's Home. _"Gosh, I can't wait to get out of this place when I turn 18."_ I tried to enjoy the warmth of the bed for a few moments more before I was forced out. But I had no choice, as I was roughly shaken awake by my bunkmate.

"Come on Kirstin! We need to get to the dining hall before the line gets too long!"

"Then leave without me!" I slurred as I attempt to pull my sheets up over my head, but eventually I give up. How is she possibly so chipper in the morning?

I missed how Avi would wake me up, poking me slowly until I giggled from the silliness. He was the closest thing to a best friend I ever had. I remembered the morning he was assigned his position in the community when he turned 18, and how much I had cried that night. _"Only 11 more months. You can make it."_ I sighed and forced myself out of bed, rolling off the bunk. I shivered as my feet hit the cold linoleum floor. I grabbed my uniform from my chest by the foot of my bed and scrambled to find the nearest empty washroom.

I turned up to the dining hall a few minutes late, getting stares from every Student Supervisor I passed. I shook it off and headed to the nearest table, full of girls I barely knew. All of the other spots with my other friends were taken. Maybe I should've gotten there earlier. _"Only 11 more months."_ I took a deep breath and sat down at the end of the table. 

"So Sadie, what do you want to be assigned to?"

I ate as I silently listened to their conversation.

"I dunno, Factory Worker or Scavenger would be nice. But I would want most to be a Leader, or maybe a Healer."

"You wanna go to more school? Are you crazy?"

I couldn't quite relate. I enjoyed school enough, so I wouldn't have hated it if I was assigned for more. Except, of course, it meant more time away from Avi and his friendship. Once I truned 18, I would be allowed to eat with him and visit him in his Apartment, but since we were in different age groups, we were forbidden from seeing each other.

Before I knew it, the Supervisors were ushering us to class. Some classes, like chemistry, were more interesting, but it took concentrated effort to not fall asleep in Grammar and Spelling. My mind, as usual, drifted towards my future. Specifically, my partner. I knew that I would be assigned a partner at some point, although authorities would never tell us who or when. It would be nice to have just one person living with me, instead of 24. I wondered if I had met him yet or if he would be a stranger. Would he be tall? Would he have a beard? Would he be kind? 

Most of all, I wondered if he would be Marked with the X. Me and Avi were the only people I knew that had it. I didn't realize it was different until I was moved to the Student's Home when I was 6. All of the kids gathered around each other and stuck out their tiny bare feet, looking to see if they had Marks in common. I wanted to fit in too, so I lifted up my foot for everyone to see. I remember one boy's face screwed up when he saw my sole.

"Why's she got an X? I've never seen that before."

Another girl shouted, "That's so weird!"

A third boy questioned, "Maybe it means she's broken or something?"

I felt my eyes get misty and cheeks get hot as all of the Students stared at me. As I began to cry, all of the children backed away from me. I ran into the washroom, angry at the others, but mostly at myself. _"Why do I have this stupid Mark?"_ In a fit, I tried to rub the tattooed ink off my foot.

"Hey, don't cry, new girl."

I heard a boy's voice, muffled by the locked door.

"I have an X on my foot too, and I don't think I'm broken. Hey, we have something in common! We can be friends! Letter buddies!"

I wiped my eyes and nose on my sleeve. "You promise?"

"Pinky promise. Can you come out now?"

"No, I still feel sad."

He paused for a moment, putting his mouth closer to the crack between the door and its frame.

"My name's Avi. What's your name, new girl?"

"Kirstie."

"That's a pretty name, Kirstie! Can you please come out? I want to say hi."

I couldn't help but smile, since he was so nice and polite. I had never met a boy who didn't think girls were gross and had cooties before. I slowly unlocked the door. Outside was a chestnut-haired boy, a little older than me, with bright green eyes and a hopeful smile. And one shoe off. He held out his foot to prove his Marks: C, K, P, and X.

I lit up when I saw his foot. "We actually have two Marks in common!"

I showed him my foot, which bore the letters I, K, L, and X.

"Well," he said with delight, "that means we must be best friends!" He held out his pinky, with that same smile I would come to know so well. I wrapped my little finger around his, and from that moment we were inseparable. 

I looked up at the clock, and smiled internally. Only ten minutes until lunch break!

Once the buzzer sounded again, I slipped away from the single file lines and into our agreed alley. _"Where is he? He's usually already he-"_

"Kirstie!" I felt his breath on my neck behind me. I spun around to see his bright green eyes, but they were dull and his smile was gone. It was rarely there since he was assigned as a Scavenger three years ago. 

"Avi, i told you, it's Kirstin now! What if I called you Avriel?"

His face slid into a grimace, making me chuckle. He always knew how to make me laugh.

"I brought you something. One of those creatures you like?"

In his hand was a small porcelain statue, no bigger than his palm, of a thing with pointed ears, bright blue eyes, fluffy white fur, and a big snout ending with a black nose.

"Avi, my favorite! How'd you find this?"

"At some point you could find anything, digging through all that rubble."

I saw a scowl surface on his face. I hated when he did that. It looked as ugly as trash. I hugged him tightly, to try and squeeze the anger out of him.

"Kirst, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, just hold out until you turn 18. Then we can see each other way more often, in the dining halls and in the Apartments. I'm just..." He trailed off.

I didn't want to press him. I knew that something had been upsetting him for a few weeks now, but figured that if he wouldn't tell me, he wouldn't have told anyone else. We trusted each other entirely. I slipped the small statue into my pocket, then looked up to see his face properly. I saw the sadness and frustration that seemed to radiate from him. But I knew I couldn't stay for long with him, as much as it hurt me. "I better run before they start to miss me, Avi."

"See you soon, Kirstin." His voice was cheerful, but his mouth remained a straight line. I dashed to the dining hall, slipping into the end of the line. I felt a knot of worry in my stomach that I couldn't help. When would Avi start smiling again? I vowed to help him be happy again, and soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, no Kavi in this fanfic. Going for a sibling kind of thing, I don't know how well I managed to execute that though. But maybe a different ship other than Scomiche... ;)
> 
> Make sure to tell me what you think! Thanks for the reads and kudos!


	3. Chapter 3

I slid away from the alley, and started to head back towards my Rubble Zone just outside of the community. As usual, it was the last place I wanted to go. Especially in the past few months, I felt...stuck when I went to my position each day. It felt as though I was repeating the same routine every day, and nothing was being accomplished. _"Of course things are being accomplished. You've cleared out so many Zones!"_. I reminded myself, but to no avail. Every day, the same feeling of, well, sameness and monotony leaked backed in. Sometimes I even wondered if I was assigned to the right job at all, a thought I quickly shook out of my head. Such ways of thinking would get me nowhere.

"Hey Avi! Get your head outta the clouds and help me out with this!", Lindsey shouted, bringing me out of my introspection. 

"What's going on with you? You need to get back to work!" I envied Lindsey's self-assured nature, how she had no doubts of her positions in society -

"Avi!!! Start moving! This metal won't lift itself!"

"Coming, hold on!"

I sometimes got caught up in my own head - too much, really, for my own good. I went and helped Lindsey lift the large chunk of steel into the vehicle that we used to transport the salvage to Factories to be melted down. After it landed in the back of the truck with a loud thud, Lindsey turned to me, a quizzical look in her eyes.

"Avi, what are you doing disappearing from work all the time? Are you doing something you don't want me to know about?"

"Um, no, no, just exploring other areas. You know, like scouting, kinda?"

She looked skeptical. "Alrighty Avi, I trust you. Just keep looking for good stuff. You need to make up for the time you were gone."

I willingly nodded my head. I did not want Lindsey to pick up my lead, because I knew she would definitely report me if she found out I was visiting Kirstie. And I couldn't bear to not see her. 

As I was wandering, kicking dirt and looking for the telltale sheen of metal, I came upon a large metal box, that seemed to refuse to open. _"Come on, why won't you give way?"_ I thought as I tried to pry the lid off its hinges. Eventually I resorted to hitting it over and over with my crowbar. Actually, it felt good. Maybe I just needed to vent some frustration. I was so absorbed in opening the box that I didn't even respond to Lindsey calling my name, or care when Lindsey vanished out of my sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, sorry. But there's a fun chapter coming up next!


	4. Chapter 4

As I was exploring the terrain, I saw a glint of metal from the clay covered ground. I eagerly stooped to pull it free, but instead was surprised by its refusal to budge. Unperturbed, I wiped the dust by the metal and realized that it was a steel rod welded to a round, heavy metal plate. I lifted the plate to find that underneath was a pit, with smooth earthen walls and a ladder leading into the darkness. I glanced to Avi, looking to see if he had noticed. 

"Hey Avi! I need another set of hands!" He was engrossed in his own activities, prying open a long-abandoned sealed metal box. With very little success, it seemed. He wiped the sweat from his brow and furiously continued to pound his crowbar against the box.

"Whatever, I can do it myself!" I scoffed aloud. I was glad that I had happened upon an untouched area to loot. I pulled a high-power flashlight from her pack and brazenly climbed down the ladder. After a while, my foot hit the ground, but instead of the soft thud of dirt under her, she heard a sharp click.

"That can't be good", I remarked, before I was startled by the two bright lights that lit up, one on each side of the room, revealing high shelves that stretched far above my filled with nothing but books. I was astounded by the vast array and quantity, staring openmouthed at the sight. 

_"This many books exist? In one place?"_ I ran my finger along the titles that were at eye level, reading them as I went. They all sounded strange and unfamiliar, none of them resembling the books I read when I was little, the manuals of my trade, or the Guidebook kept by each bed in the Apartments. As I wandered down the room, I heard another click and saw another pair of lights brighten. 

My curiosity piqued, I walked directly toward the darkened area of the hallway, triggering another set of lights and revealing more books. I walked faster and faster, almost sprinting so fast I couldn't turn on the lights fast enough until I suddenly stopped. There, at the end of the hall, was an array of strange devices. 

I first noticed the large wooden box, with white and black pieces at one long end, with a small bench close by. I saw a couple more boxes clasped shut, made of hard plastic and shaped long and thin at one end and like a rounded box and the other. One was significantly larger than the other, and I wondered what use such oddly shaped items could have. _"I mean, they aren't tools, they don't look like they were made for work... What are they for?_

But then my eyes fell on the smallest case, shaped like the other two, but easily a third of the size. I don't know why I was drawn to that case, but something about it looked like it was begging to be opened. But then I caught myself, sighed and shook my head. 

_"I'm just wasting time. These aren't going to be worth a thing unless they're made of solid rebar."_ However, I couldn't take her eyes of the little case, and before I knew it I felt my hands undoing the clasps and delicately opening the case.

Resting in the velvet-lined case was an hourglass shaped wooden object, with a long handle of wood at its top. It had four strings that ran along it from top to bottom. Beside it was a long wooden stick, with hairs running taut from one end to the other. It looked fragile to the touch, as if it might break if I picked it up. But I had to at least see it closer, so I gingerly took it by the long, skinny piece. 

I couldn't imagine what this thing could be for. Was it for a task? Or maybe it was a piece for a ceremony? I turned it so it faced me, and looked at it closely. What would make it so valuable that it needed to be in this cave? I ran my thumb across the strings, looking for an answer, when my finger tugged one of the strings.

And it made a sound.

"Whoa." 

I almost dropped the thing in shock, and wondered if I had truly heard such a wonderful sound, or if it was my imagination. So I plucked a different string, and it made _another_ sound, higher pitched. I was absolutely amazed. I had never heard anything that made beautiful noises before. The closest thing I could think of was the sound of Kevin's laugh, but that was nothing compared to this. _"I_ so _need to come back here."_

I realized that Avi may start to miss me, and I didn't want to give away this secret. Somehow I knew that it had to be protected. I carefully put the thing back in its case and latched it shut. I figured that if I snuck back here tonight, I could explore more, maybe figure out if the thing could make more beautiful sounds. I ran back to the ladder, but before I started climbing I looked back to the thing, shut away in its case. I so deeply wanted to come back and explore its secrets. I rose through the entry hole and carefully replaced the plate, kicking some dust on it for good measure.

I saw Avi had succeeded in opening his box, which had silvery coins inside of it. He seemed fairly pleased with himself. He didn't even notice that I had been gone, it seemed. Thankfully, I didn't have to explain my actions, or why I disappeared. Perhaps Avi had found something too, and went to visit it often. If he did, I couldn't blame him if it was half as wondrous as my thing.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. My mind was wrapped up in those two sounds I had heard from the thing. I was determined to find it again that night and learn more. Now that those wonders had infiltrated my mind, there was not a rule in the world that could stop me from exploring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write :) Thanks for being so patient with updates! I promise they will be more regular in the future.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a long day, working at the School for hours on coursework. To me, it seemed stupid that we had to keep studying, when we were just a few months away from being assigned our position in the Community. I was just thankful that another day of school was over, which was another day off the countdown. Only four more months, and I was out! 

As usual, I got into the line for dinner with a few of my friends. We were talking and making jokes when I saw her for the first time. She had long, coal-black hair, and was easily a foot shorter than me, since I'm so tall. She was right in front of me, but I couldn't stop staring. As she turned with her tray to get her food, I could see the preoccupation in her gorgeous brown eyes, her brow furrowed as she scanned the tables for somewhere to eat. 

"Scott, what are you doing looking at that girl?"

My friend Jake tilted his head with a confused expression. "She's just a girl, like all the others. Why are you looking at her like that?"

"Honestly, I have no clue." I had no idea why this girl was so...entrancing. "Do you know her name though?"

"Kristin, I think. Something like that. What, do you want to talk to her?"

"She seems lonely." We had gotten to our usual table when I noticed the girl trying to find room to sit, to no avail. "Do you mind if she sits here?"

"No, I don't care. As long as we can all still fit at the table."

I waved to try to catch her attention as her gaze shifted in my direction. When our eyes met, she seemed confused at first, but then her eyes lit up and she smiled an adorable lopsided grin. Her tray thunked down next to mine on the table and she quickly scooted into the chair. 

"Hi! I'm Kirstin."

"I'm Scott. Are you normally assigned to this dining hall? I've never introduced myself before."

"Yeah, but usually I'm farther back in line." She smiled softly. "Sometimes I get...distracted on the way."

I chuckled. "Well it's still nice to meet you, Kirstin. Are you in your last year?"

"Yup, only a few more months and then I get a real job, and don't have to share my room with a gazillion girls!"

"You think that's bad, try a bunch of loud, obnoxious teenaged boys. I count my blessing if I get through a day without a bodily functions joke."

She laughed, and I found myself delighting in the tones of her laughter. "So what assignment do you want to get? Not like we have a say, but if you could choose?"

Kirstin thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I mean, I would be fine with nearly all of the jobs, but none of them really interest me that much, you know?"

"I totally get it. I can't say any of the assignments make me excited. I'm just ready to live in my own Apartment!"

Kirstin perked up. "Totally! But you know what I'm even more excited for? Getting a partner! Someone to talk to and live with and keep me company... it's just so exciting!"

I had never really thought about getting a partner like that. "Yeah, I guess so. It'll be better than a bunch of roommates, at least."

The conversation continued on, drifting to Teachers we both hated and friends we both had. I started to noticed the way her lips curled as I was telling a story, or the way her hair brushed her shoulders as she moved it away from her face. I was taking more interest in her than I had any other person before, which was really confusing. Why was she so captivating?

Dinner ended, and the buzzer sounded for us to move back to the Student's Homes. I was surprised that the time had flown by so quickly. "Will I see you here tomorrow if I save you a seat?"

"Of course, Scott. See you tomorrow!"

She got up and walked away, and for the first time I was sad that I only had a few months left as a Student. As I walked along the path back to the Student's Home, my thoughts wandered back to the girl with the dancing eyes and the entrancing smile. I had no idea how to describe her, because my vocabulary could not define the way she laughed or spoke. 

_"But she's just a girl! I've never heard of someone acting in such a silly way before. Why do you keep thinking about her eyes, and her smile, and her hair, and her grace, and her energy, and her..._ That's when I knew that I would have a hard time sleeping that night, as Kirstin would invade my dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter! More updates to come!


	6. Chapter 6

I had just gotten home from the Medical School and was studying in my room when Lindsey burst through the front door of the Apartment. She sounded much more energetic than usual, which was very rare for a girl who usually was beat tired when she walked through the door. 

"Kevin. Kevinnnnnnn. KEVIN!!!"

"Hold on, Linds, I'm coming!" I wondered what could have possibly happened at her job that excited her so much. I had never heard her be so hyper about, well, _anything_ before. When I opened the door from my room and went into the living area. Her eyes were shining with excitement and I could practically feel the floor shaking from her bouncing up and down.

"SoIfoundsomethingtodayandI'veneverseensomethinglikeit-"

"Lindsey, calm down! Please, I can't understand you when you get excited."

She took a deep breath. 

"While I was working today, I found a trap door of some sort. It led to this, I dunno, a cave of sorts? And it had all these books."

I raised my eyebrows. "How many books are we talking?"

"Easily hundreds. But-"

"Hundreds of different books!?! I've never seen so many! What were they about? Do you remem-"

"Stop cutting me off! I hate it when you do that. Anyways, there was a thing. And it made sounds."

I was really confused with why she was so excited. "But Linds, everything makes sounds. What makes these special?"

"They were, like, _cool_ sounds. I guess you have to hear them for yourself to get the full effect."

"And when would I be able to go? I'm forbidden from your Zones, remember?"

She thought for a moment, then furrowed her brow and set her lips in a straight line. "I'll just have to take you now."

"Now?!? We can't go there in the middle of the night! Imagine if we get caught? Or worse?"

"Don't worry Kevin, it will definitely be worth it. Trust me, this was one of the best things I've heard in my entire life! I would be selfish if I kept it all for myself. I need to share it with someone I trust and respect to keep it safe, and who better than you?"

"I'm glad you respect me, but I can't let you endanger yourself. I can't afford to have you taken away! You're my best friend!"

She was flustered by my sudden outburst of emotion, and to be honest, I was too. "Look, I just can't let you hurt your job, or yourself. You can go see it tomorrow at your work."

She had regained her composure by now, and looked at me with pleading eyes. "Kevin, that's why I want to show it to you. I know you would think it was really amazing. And I can't keep visiting it at work, since I don't know how long I can keep it a secret if I visited in broad daylight."

She was right. If someone saw her visiting during the day, she would certainly be taken in for questioning. And I knew that people taken away by the Officers usually didn't return as the same person. I couldn't bear to see Lindsey's spirit broken. 

"Lindsey, how badly do you want to see these...things again?"

"With all my heart."

I looked at her face, and realized I couldn't possibly say no to her. It must be something absolutely wonderful if she was willing to risk this much. 

"All right, I'll come with you-"

She grabbed my hand and nearly dragged me out the door, she was so excited. We quietly left the building and started to sneak down the main road, past the Schools and Congress. She still held my hand, since it started to become dark and a flashlight would alert others to our presence. It was when we were passing the Caregiver's House when I realized someone was watching us through the second story window. I squeezed Lindsey's hand and she turned toward me.

"What, Kevin?"

I shifted my gaze toward the mansion, but the figure was already gone, and the curtains closed. When she turned to look, she only saw the swish of the curtains. 

"Kev, don't be paranoid. We'll be in and out before anyone knows we were gone, I swear."

She then led me down the alleys toward the Zones, still holding my hand, and I swore that I would protect her from any harm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is kinda filler butttt exciting stuff coming up soon! Please let me know how you like the story!


End file.
